March 30, 2010

Every once in a while DigElog ROCORI will feature a full length performance from one of the various choir groups around the community. Here is your chance to see a full length performance from the Peace Lutheran Church Choir from their March 28, 2010 service. The group sang beautifully that day, so check out this uplifting performance.

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This story was sponsored by Granite Country Computing (GCC) of Cold Spring. John Larson, owner of GCC, is your local authorized CLEARWIRE dealer and installer. Granite Country Computing does all kinds of computer installation, repair and support.

November 17, 2008

By recognizing that the Golden Rule is
fundamental to all world religions, the Charter for Compassion can
inspire people to think differently about religion. This Charter is
being created in a collaborative project by people from all over the
world. It will be completed in 2009.

The Charter for Compassion is a collaborative effort to build a
peaceful and harmonious global community. Bringing together the voices
of people from all religions, the Charter seeks to remind the world
that while all faiths are not the same, they all share the core
principle of compassion and the Golden Rule. The Charter will change
the tenor of the conversation around religion. It will be a clarion
call to the world.

Over the next months this site will be
open for the world to contribute to Charter for Compassion. Using
innovative group decision-making software, people of all faiths, from
all across the globe, will contribute their words and stories on a
website designed specifically for the Charter. A Council of Sages, made
up of religious thinkers and leaders, will craft the world’s words into
the final version of the Charter. The document will not only speak to
the core ideas of compassion but will also address the actions all
segments of society can take to bring these ideas into the world more
fully. The Charter for Compassion will then be signed by religious
leaders of all faiths at a large launch event, followed by a series of
other events to publicize and promote the Charter around the world.

Governor of New York, Lieutenant Governor of New York, Mayor of
Detroit: Recently, the men occupying these powerful posts have had
their sexual indiscretions publicly aired. The Governor’s alleged
cross-state tryst with a prostitute, and the mayor’s indictment for
perjury in his previous denial of sexual impropriety entangled in
government business, could subject both to felony charges. Governor
Eliot Spitzer, now-Governor David Paterson, and Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick
thus join the ranks of American political (and religious) leaders whose
legacies have been marred or even destroyed by sex scandals.

Among the reports and commentaries I have sampled on these three
events, none thus far has offered a perspective that will provide
future governmental leaders with any real help in staying the path.
Heightened fear, perhaps. But fear subsides over time — or is
decisively over-ruled in the moment by the powerful urges of (what I
like to call) our “Lizard Legacy,” supercharged by jolts of
testosterone that are both cause and consequence of a significant rise
in status. As I wrote in my book (referring to the fall of Pastor Ted
Haggard and the impeachment proceedings of President Bill Clinton),

“Have we learned anything from these personal and public tragedies? I would venture this: So
long as religious and political leaders continue to ignore our
evolutionary heritage, and thus do not put in place structures of
internal and external support that can withstand the high dosages of
testosterone that high status and power necessarily confer, then there
will be no hope for a less calamitous future. — TGFE p. 148

How, specifically, would an evolutionary understanding offer
effective guidance? First, let us consider the science. Again from my
book:

“Our reptilian brain [what I call, our Lizard Legacy] truly has its own
agenda, a set of three ultimate goals: sustenance, survival, and sex.
Evolution found ways to make sexual fulfillment extraordinarily
pleasurable in order to ensure procreation. But the penis, in
particular, doesn’t remember the ‘in order to’ part of the deal.” —
TGFE p. 147

“Sexual drives that would lead to marital infidelity may, of course,
be quiescent in some individuals, but there is a well-established link
between high levels of testosterone and how insistent and relentless
the sexual drives become. Moreover, there is a well-established link in
mammals between gains in status and elevated levels of testosterone.
Either can cause an upswing in the other. So even if we begin our
social climbing with our internal ‘assassin’ adequately restrained,
once our status exceeds a threshold, without support and accountability
our elevated hormones may be our undoing. As our secret indiscretions
become public, our paleomammalian drive to maintain high status kicks
in big time, such that we are tempted to violate other moral principles
as well—by lying, blaming others, covering up, perhaps even
blackmailing possible informants and threatening them with physical
harm. — TGFE p. 147

Science leads to self-understanding, which opens the way for truly effective self-help practices:

“Appreciating that unwanted inclinations are part of
our heritage doesn’t mean we must do their bidding. But it does help us
accept that the yearnings themselves need not be judged as shameful —
and thus we don’t have to be in denial about their existence. A man
choosing to live in a committed, monogamous relationship with a woman,
for example, can accept that sexually promiscuous thoughts
(heterosexual and/or homosexual) are natural and to be expected from
time to time. This is true even for those who are completely happy with
their partner. Only from the stance of acceptance can one effectively
notice and then seek peer support and accountability to remain in
integrity when unwanted urges do arise.” — TGFE p. 145

“As I walk an evolutionary path of personal salvation,
humility is a requisite, for I cannot save myself by myself. Original
Sin runs deep. My Lizard Legacy is too powerful, and my Furry Li’l
Mammal lives in a world of small and often selfish concerns. I need
others and, in fact, I need the Whole of Reality. Here we see another
face of deep-time grace in and through evolutionary psychology and
brain science. How much more workable to accept ourselves, in all our
flaws, rather than to resist those inborn aspects as if they shouldn’t
be! Instincts simply are, and we can see how they served our
ancestors. Now, how do we go about the task of channeling those
energies in integrous ways, with equanimity and insight rather than
white-knuckle horror?” — TGFE p. 169

Accountability is key. Here are some practices that promote accountability and community nurturance:

“Integrity is not a solo sport; it is a community undertaking. For this reason, I dream of the day when baptism
in a Christian church comes to mean this: We know that Original Sin
cannot be washed away by a daub of water. Rather, the baptismal act is
a commitment by the community to lovingly guide the baptized individual
through all of life’s stages and through every challenge, using the
awareness and tools that God has revealed and will continue to reveal
through the time-tested wisdom of our cultural and religious
inheritance and the public revelations of science. The religious
community would provide structures of education and support that would
acquaint us with our evolved Quadrune Brain: our Lizard Legacy, our
Furry Li’l Mammal, our Monkey Mind, and our Higher Porpoise. In
adolescence and continuing throughout adulthood, our baptismal
community would be counted for peer counseling, recovery work, and
encouragement of our Higher Porpoise through participation in
evo-integrity groups.” — TGFE p. 174

In summary,

“There is profound relief in knowing that the
inclinations we most dislike in ourselves and others are often not of
our or their own doing. In a way, our flaws are not our fault. We
didn’t choose them; nor did others. We all, to some extent, inherited
them. Our inherited proclivities were shaped by the particulars of our
human, mammalian, and vertebrate evolutionary journeys, nuanced by the
developmental journey each of us navigates from womb to tomb. This gift
of understanding is the foundation for any lasting transformation. It
encourages us to move beyond denial or condemnation and simply accept
that there are powerful drives within all of us that we did not choose.
Once relaxed and accepting, we can begin to forgive self and others for
past transgressions. This forgiveness, in turn, clears the board and
gives us the courage to look full-square at our current situation and
from that vantage to embark on realistic paths for bettering our lives,
enriching our relationships, and blessing our world.” — TGFE p. 154

The presentation, given by Rev. Michael Dowd, is based on his recentlypublished book of the same title, which has been ENDORSED BY 5 NOBELPRIZE-WINNING SCIENTISTS and dozens of other luminaries across the religiousand philosophical spectrum: http://ThankGodforEvolution.com/nobel

December 26, 2007

It's just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past 10 years or so.

It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas---oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it... overspending...the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma---the gifts given in desperation because you couldn't think of anything else. Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, ties and so forth. I reached for something special just for Mike.

The inspiration came in an unusual way. Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended; and shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church, mostly black. These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, presented a sharp contrast to our boys in their spiffy blue and gold uniforms and sparkling new wrestling shoes. As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler's ears. It was a luxury the ragtag team obviously could not
afford. Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. And as each of their boys got up from the mat, he swaggered around in his tatters with false bravado, a kind of street pride that couldn't acknowledge defeat. Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, "I wish just one of them could have won," he said. "They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them."

Mike loved kids-all kids-and he knew them, having coached little league football, baseball and lacrosse. That's when the idea for his present came. That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church. On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and in succeeding years. For each Christmas, I followed the tradition---one year sending a group of mentally handicapped youngsters to a hockey game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas, and on and on. The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents. As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but the envelope never lost its allure. The story doesn't end there.

You see, we lost Mike last year. When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning, it was joined by three more. Each of our children, unbeknownst to the others, had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad. The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing around the tree with wide-eyed anticipation watching as their fathers take down the envelope. Mike's spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with us.

May we all remember Christ, and "give" in a Christ-like manner. After all, he is the reason for the season, and the true "Christmas spirit" this year and always.

December 23, 2007

Logan is a 13 year-old boy who lives on a ranch in a very small town in
Nebraska. Logan listens to Christian Radio station 89.3FM KSBJ which
broadcasts from Houston, TX. Logan called the radio station distraught
because he had to take down a calf . His words have wisdom beyond his
years.

August 18, 2007

This summer, after 26 years, Brother Paul Richards, dreamer, founder, director, visionary, promoter and leader of the St. John's Boys' Choir of Central Minnesota has stepped down from his position with the group. He leaves behind a positive legacy that this story only skirts the very edge of the iceberg seen above the water... let alone the 90% of the iceberg left unseen below the water.

The text below was taken from the Boys' Choir Website, submitted by Brother Paul last year.

The saying that suggests ‘history has a way of repeating itself,’ rings
true for The St. John’s Boys’ Choir. In 1981, the Choir was founded to
provide opportunities for boys while bringing extraordinary music to
area residents.

We stayed true to our mission, building a viable
organization with sustaining impact on Choir members, families,
teachers and others associated with The St. John’s Boys’ Choir.

To say that I am proud of the Choir’s achievements
would be a serious understatement. Our music program is solid; we have
earned a strong national and international reputation. Though always a
challenge, our financial position promotes long-term viability. Friends
have been generous and we have successfully entered the realm of grants
and fundraising (keep those critical dollars coming).

In addition to our strengths in music and finances,
I must commend the boys and their families for their hard work and,
sometimes, difficult decisions made in order to meet the demands and
responsibilities associated with being part of the Choir. The
administrative and professional staff, student workers, Board of
Directors, members of the Abbey community….all playing critical roles
in the ongoing story of The St. John’s Boys’ Choir.

The 26th Season brings another milestone to the
Choir’s rich and varied history. The Choir commissioned world-renowned
Minnesota composer Stephen Paulus to prepare an opera which would
feature boys as the major characters. Working with celebrated
librettist Gene Sheer of New York, The Star Gatherer, was developed and
celebrated with its world debut by The St. John’s Boys’ Choir at Saint
John’s University.

This performance is indicative of the Choir’s
growth and continued desire to bring great gifts of music and culture
to the good people of central Minnesota.

You are all stars.
Blessings,
Br. Paul Richards, O.S.B.
Music Director

October 13, 2006

Its one of the best stories of the year. Habitat for Humanity does so much for the communities that get involved. In this story Peace Lutheran in Cold Spring helps out in the cause of Habitat for Humanity. Peace joins a multitude of local businesses, volunteers, and contributors to make a house for Ahmed's family.

This story will touch the hearts of many as Ahmed will get his family a house. He is a father of three and they have been in the U.S. for about 5 years. His interview really shows just how much this means to him and everyone impacted by Habitat for Humanity.

July 20, 2006

A very important asset in the "Land of ROCORI" can be found at Assumption Campus in Cold Spring. At Assumption you'll find a combination of independent living apartments as well as assistant living services that provide fro the needs of the senior who is experiencing some of the final chapters of life. The measure of quaility in any senior home lies not only in the facility rooms and services available, but in the culture and philosophy of the people who provide daily care for the residents.

In this story you'll meet both staff and residents at Assumption Campus. After viewing this short informative clip, you'll understand why Assumption has waiting lists for people who are looking forward to becoming a part of this warm and friendly place in our community.